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(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WEST & R. D. HUME.

Gan Filler. No. 233,449. Patented Oct. 19, 1880.

Witnesse um Model.)

J. WEST & R. D HUME. eetg- -flheetl Gan Filler.

Patented Oct. 19,1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WEST, OF VVESTPORT, OREGON, AND ROBERT D. HUME, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

CAN-Fl LLER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 233,449, dated October19,1880. Application filed August 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN WEST, of Westport,county of Olatsop, and State of Oregon, and ROBERT D. HUME, of the cityand county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented aCan-Filling Apparatus; and we hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in that class of apparatuswhich is employed to mechanically pack and fill the cans in which meat,fish, or other solid substances are hermetically sealed for the market;and it consists in the employment of a carryingbelt operated by anautomatic pawl and ratchet, whereby the material is carried forward intoa chute, through which it is led to the shaping and compressingcylinder, and in combination with this chute the employment of a pair ofcurved shearing-knives which cut the material to the exact cylindricalshape necessary to enable it to enter the can.

It also consists in the employment of a vertically-moving gate andpresser, by which the amount necessary for each can is segregated fromthe mass in the chute and forced into the former.

It further consists in a cylindrical extension of the former, which isadapted to receive the can tov be filled, said can being slipped overthis extension with its bottom resting against the end of the extension,so the first portion of the substance which is forced from the former bythe can-filling plunger will be deposited at the bottom of the can, andthe can thus filled from the bottom toward the top, and the air expelledduring the process of filling, the can at the same time being forced ofithe extension, so that it is filled and removed at one operation.

It further consists in certain details of construction in the-mechanismemployed to operate the different parts, as will be more fully describedby reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.Fig. 3 is a transverse section. V

The draper or feeding-belt A on the rollers A is intended to feed ordeliver the cut pieces of fish, meat, &c., forward into thereceivingchute, whence they drop down in front of the plunger, ashereinafter described. One of the rollers A has a ratchet, with whichthe pawl b of the rod B engages, this rod being operated by the lever O,as shown. Extended slots are out both in the rod B and in the lever G,through which a bolt, 12, passes, and the adjustment of this bolt withrelation to the slots regulates the feed of the belt by giving more orless throw to the rod B, carrying the pawl. The lever G is hinged toanother lever, D, provided with a spring or weight, and operated by thedisk or cam-wheel E, impinging on the arm cl of said lever, ashereinafter described.

On the end of the lever D is an arm, F, hinged to a three-armed lever,f, on the lower end of which is the false bottom f to the chute Gr. Asthe lever D is moved up, the rod or arm F, in operating the lever f,draws the false bottom f out of the hopper, allowing the material whichhas been fed in to drop down into the presser-box. The leverfis swung onthe top of a sliding plate, F, and this sliding plate moves verticallyin guides in the chute, as shown. As the lever moves the plate upwardthe false bottom is moved out by the same action. After rising to thetop, when the cam allows the lever D to drop, the sliding plate F alsodrops, and the lever f then throws the false bottom across the chute. Infalling thus the false bottom answers as a presser to force downwardinto the presser-box the fish or meat which has previously rested. onsaid false bottom.

The meat or fish in the receiver is thus forced downward and compressedin. the compressioncylinder formed by the two semi-cylindricalbevel-edged knives. These two knives fit by or overlap each other whenoperated. The knives really serve as molds, and while outtin g the meator fish mold it to a shape to fit the can.

The knives are operated by rack-bars I engaging with the teeth j on thedisks J, these disks moving in opposite directions and each one havingone of the semicircular knives attached to or forming part of it. Theseknives are opened, and as the false bottom of the chute is pressed downthe fish or meat is thus forced into the cylinder formed by the knives.As this cylinder is filled the operating mechanism hereinafter describedmoves the rack-bars upward, rotating the disks and closingthesemicircular knives, which thus cut off a cylindrical piece of pressedfish or meat, inclosing it between them. At this moment the gate orknife K of the cylinder is withdrawn by means of a lever, k, which isthrown down by a pin or cam on the cam-wheel, and the end of thecylinder is left open. The plunger or piston M then enters the cylinderunder the semicircular knives and pushes the cylindrical piece cut bythem through their open ends into the cylindrical extension L. A commoncylindrical can, I, such as is used for canning fish or meat, is slippedover this extension L until its bottom comes in contact with the end ofsaid extension. The cut and molded fish or meat, in beingforeed into theextension by the plunger or piston, is forced against the bottom of thecan, and as it gradually fills the can, said can is pushed oi? theextension and is left filled. In this way the can isfilled bythe bottombeing filled first, and any air in said can is free to pass out betweenthe inside of the can and the outside of the extension. The material isthus deposited in the can without any air at all.

If it is desired to dispense with the carrying-belt, with its devices,and the presser, so as to leave the vertical chute only, the feeder isformed by a gate orjaw upon the side of the chnte,operated by a rodextending to the rackbars and moving with them. The false bottom andpresser are replaced by a weighted block, which is raised and lowered inthe chute, fit ting it exactly.

The piston or plunger is operated by an adjustable lug, m, coming incontact with the pin n on the disk E and pushing said piston in. As thepiston is thus moved inward by the pressure of this pin on the lug, itforces the compressed fish or meat in the cylinder out into the bottomof the can, and as the can gradually fills itis pushed off theextension, all ready filled to receive its top. Just as this plunger orpiston nearly finishes its stroke the pins 0 0 on the disk anddriving-shaftcome in contact with the lugs p on the levers I, theselevers being provided with pins at their forward ends which engage withloops q, attached to a plate, N, carrying the rack-bars I. The rack-barsare thus forced upward, turningthe disks J, which, moving in oppositedirections, rotate the knives it, so as to open them by each other andleave an opening from the chute into the feed-cylinder. As the plungeris withdrawn the sliding plate carrying the false bottom of the chute israised by the action of the lever I) d and lug on the driving-disk, and,the false bottom being opened, all the material drops down onto theplunger or piston in the cylindrical pressurebox. Just the moment theend of the plunger is withdrawn from this cylinder the lug releases thelever D d and its weight or spring draws it down. As it begins to fallthe false bottom f shuts in, and as its plate F is drawn down by theweighted lever this bottom answers as a presser, which compresses themeat or fish into the cylindrical box H between the edges of the knives.At this instant the lugso 0 on the driving-shaft and disk come incontact with the links or loops q on the plate N, carrying therack-bars. These rack-bars are then drawn down, rotating theknife-carrying disks, and as these knives h close by each other. acylind rical piece of the pressed fish or meat is formed by them, readyto be forced out by the plunger. Just at this time a cam, r, on the diskor driving shaft depresses the lever k, drawing down the gate K, so thatthe plunger may force out the fish or meat into the can, as hereinafterdescribed.

A curved arm or lever, S, havingapiins, to engage with the front of theadjustable stop or log m on the plunger or piston, withdraws the pistonor plunger at the proper time, a pin on the driving wheel or diskengaging with a lug, s, to draw said lever back. This operation iscontinuous. The belt continues to pass the material into the chute, thefalse bottom forces it down into the cylinder, where the knives cut itin proper shape, and the plunger keeps forcing blocks of proper sizeinto the cans, said cans being displaced as soon as filled. An attendantthen puts another can onto the extension, which is, in turn, filled, asdescribed.

The object of the gate K is to keep the material in the cylinder inproper shape and prevent it spreading while being pressed down by thefalse bottom. As soon as the piston is drawn back this valve closes theoutlet of the cylinder into the extension. When the piston is comingforward the gate opens and allows the fish or meat to pass out of thecylinder into the extension and into the can.

The material, when pressed together compactly, is cut by the knives inportions which nearly fit the cans, and is placed in the cans withouthandling, the air at the same time being excluded.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. A can-filling apparatus, in combination with an intermittently-movingbelt A, drums A, crank-arm B, lever (J, and ratchet b, all constructed,arranged, and operated as set forth.

2. The horizontal carrying-belt A, with its drums A, ratchetrwheel, andpawls, in combination with the crank-arm B and vibrating lever 0, saidcrank and lover being slotted, as shown, and united by the adjustablebolt 12, whereby the rotation of the ratchet and the movement of thebelt may be increased or diminished, substantially as herein described.

3. In combination with the vertical chute G, the combined gate andpresser f, with its le- IIO ver f and vertically-moving slide F,actuatingdisk E, arms D d, and the pitman F, whereby the gate is openedand closed, and caused to reciprocate to force the material downward,substantially as herein described.

4. The vertically-moving slide F and the horizontallymoving gate andpresser f, in combination with a triple-arm lever, f, pivoted to theslide F, and provided with the actuating-pitman F, whereby the verticalmovement of the slide and horizontal movement of the gate are performedby one operation, so that the material to be forced downward is separatedfrom thatabovebyeach movement of the slide and gate, substantiallyas herein set forth.

5. The forming and compressing case consistin g of the semi-cylindricalplates h h, rotating about a longitudinal axis, and provided with anoperating mechanism whereby their upper edges are separated to receivethe material from the chute and closed after the case is filled,substantially as herein described.

6. The forcing and compressing case consisting of the semicylindricalplates h h, adapted to be rotated upon each other about a horizontalaxis, each plate having a recess in its upper edge to receive thematerial from the chute when separated, and to act as a cutting-knifeand shaper while closing, substantially as herein described.

7. The cylindrical shaping and cutting knives h h, adapted to receivematerial from the vertical chute G, said knives acting as a former tocut and mold a quantity of material sufficient to fill the can, and as agate to separate this amount from that remaining in the chute,substantially as herein described.

8. The cylindrical former consisting of the two movable sides h h, withtheir flat toothed disks J, in combination with the rack-bars I, adaptedto rotate the disks and plates in opposite directions, substantially asand for the purpose herein set forth.

9. The forming-case consisting of the semicylindrical cutting-plates hh, with their actuating-disks J, and rack-bars I, having slotted linksq, in combination with the lever P, with its lugs 10, and the crank armor cam 0 0, whereby the rack-bars and disks are moved and the sides ofthe cylinder are alternately opened and closed, substantially as hereindescribed.

10. The case formed of the semi-cylindrical rotating and cutting knivesh h, with their operating-disks J, said disks turning on a sleeve,whereby the plunger M is allowed to reciprocate through the case,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

11. In combination with the receiving and forming case consisting of thesemi-cylindrical rotating cutters h h, adapted to be opened to receivethe charge and closed when full, and the reciprocating plunger M, thestationary extension L, fitted to receive the can I and act as a guide,so that the material is deposited in the can and the latter removed whenfull, all at one operation, substantially as herein described.

12. In a can-filling apparatus, the can-holding tubular extensionadapted to fit within the can, so that the material, when forced throughthe extension, will be first deposited in the bottom of the can and theair expelled as the can is filled, substantially as and for the purposeherein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JOHN WEST. ROBERT DENISTON HUME.

Witnesses:

FRANK K. LOVELL, H. M. BRAGKETT.

